Accidentally in Love
by Summer Styles
Summary: Gouenji Shuuya was lazing around one afternoon thinking about love until the girl he loves, Otonashi Haruna, talks to him. How does he react? What do they do? Gouenji/Haruna. This story is based on the song "Accidentally in Love" by Counting Crows.


Another time away from soccer and the members of Inazuma Japan are in their respective places. Tsunami and Hijikata were back in Okinawa, Fubuki was in Hokkaido, and those from Inazuma town were back in their homes. As predicted, except for Endou Mamoru. Unexpectedly Gouenji Shuuya wasn't home either. It was a lazy afternoon and Gouenji was by the river. He appeared to be out of his mind but actually he was in really deep thought. What was there to think about? His sister Yuuka was fine. She was awake like she had been for a while. What was our flame striker thinking about?

_What is this strange feeling I'm having?_ _This feeling makes me nervous and stupid. Is this what they call 'love'?_

Our flame striker was thinking about love. As the flame striker was staring at the clear blue river drowning in thought a familiar female noticed him.

"Gouenji-kun?" said the familiar female.

Gouenji, interrupted from his thinking, was somehow annoyed of the fact that he lost his train of thought. He turned around to see who rudely and abruptly kept him from thinking. His eyes widened. His mouth fell open. His pupils dilated. His eyebrows rose. His cheeks turned pink. All this in just a second at the sight of the young lady that he found beautiful and, in a way, adorable.

"Otonashi?" he asked as he tried to keep his stoical personality.

The flame striker knew he couldn't keep up with this phase. The thought of the female, Otonashi Haruna, already made him nervous. As for her presence, that was something else.

"You look worried or something." She said. "Is anything wrong? What's the problem?"

The flame striker kept his eyes away from her and just focused on the blue river as he replied. "I don't know. Well, maybe I'm in love."

"Gouenji Shuuya is in love?" she asked as she sat down next to him.

"Apparently." He replied with his entire face pink. "And I think about it every time. I can't stop thinking about it."

The girl of the spring just gave our flame striker a soft smile.

"If you're looking for a cure for this there is none." She told him.

"I know that. I can't ignore it, either."

The flame striker turned around and saw the girl smiling, facing him, which caused his face to grow even more pinkish.

"I don't even know anything about love." Said the flame striker nervously.

"Don't try to worry about that too much." The spring maiden said to our flame striker. "Everybody is after love anyway."

The two stood up from the side of the river, bid their goodbyes, and went their separate ways. The flame striker, who was blushing furiously, didn't go back to the Gouenji family's apartment. Instead he went around the quiet town. He passed by Raimon Junior High. He passed by the training center. He was just walking until he realized something.

"Damn it! I haven't eaten lunch yet!"

He started running. He remembered the path to Rairaiken and ran in the right directions. Two blocks, turn left. After three blocks he turned right. He reached an alleyway which was a possible shortcut to Rairaiken. He continued to run until he saw the silhouette of a female. Before he could stop himself he stumbled and fell on the screaming lady. Both fell to the floor with our flame striker right on top of the young spring maiden. The flame striker blushed even harder when he found out his face was buried in her chest. He immediately stood up and looked at the blue sky as he tried to forget what his face landed on. The spring maiden stood up and smiled at the pink lad. She patted herself clean and looked at the boy who was still staring up at the sky.

"Were you going to have lunch?" she asked.

The flame striker laid his head back down and looked at the young lady. "Yes, I was."

"There's a new crepe stand." She said. "Do you want to come with me to check it out?"

The young lad nodded and smiled. The two walked out of the alleyway and headed towards the slightly more isolated part of town, the Inazuma tower. At the foot of the hill stood the white van with an open window on one side and a sign on top of it that said "Inazuma Crepes". The two walked towards the crepe stand and took out their wallets.

"Good afternoon! Welcome to Inazuma Crepes!" said the young store clerk. "May I take your orders?"

The flame striker and the spring maiden just looked at the menu. Gouenji was slightly confused of the flavors.

"What is 'Bakunetsu Scoop'?" Gouenji asked.

"That's cheese ice cream with red syrup and a candy figure of the technique 'Bakunetsu Storm' by Inazuma Japan's ace striker, Gouenji Shuuya." The young store clerk replied. "Wait a second. You're Gouenji Shuuya!"

The young store clerk rummaged through a bunch of items in the van until he found what he was looking for. He went back to the window and handed Gouenji a soccer ball and a marker.

"I'm a fan of yours." Said the young store clerk. "May I have your autograph?"

"Okay." Gouenji replied as he signed the soccer ball. "I'll have one Bakunetsu Scoop for me. As for Otonashi..."

The flame striker gave back the soccer ball and pen to the young store clerk. The spring maiden was still reading the menu while the young store clerk already started on Gouenji's order. Finally, Haruna made a decision.

"I'll have 'Strawberry Penguin'." She said with a smile.

"One 'Strawberry Penguin' coming right up!"

The young store clerk poured crepe batter on the crepe maker and spread the batter. After that he carefully flipped the crepe and folded it by rolling the crepe into a cone and putting the cone crepe in a paper cone. Next he put strawberry ice cream in the cone and added wafer sticks and candy shaped like penguins.

"Here you go, lady!" the young store clerk said as he gave the crepe to Haruna. "That is two hundred yen."

"How about the Bakunetsu Scoop?" Gouenji asked.

"It's free! You gave me your autograph so you don't have to pay for it." Replied the young store clerk.

The spring maiden got two coins from her wallet but the flame striker put his hand on her hand. Haruna looked at Gouenji who was paying the young store clerk.

"I'll be paying for Otonashi's order." He told the young store clerk. "I really don't mind."

The young store clerk got the money from Gouenji and put it in the cash register. He gave Gouenji the receipt and the couple walked for a bit while eating their crepes. The two turned around and looked at the Inazuma tower. The flame striker smiled.

"The Inazuma tower. It's like a sign of unity." He said.

"That's true." She replied. "The logo of Inazuma Japan already shows that we're never alone."

It was silent after that. Finally, they finished their crepes. The sun was setting for it was five forty in the afternoon when Gouenji found out he didn't have lunch yet. The young couple walked together in silence. Finally someone spoke.

"Aren't you going home?" asked the flame striker.

"I don't have to." The spring maiden replied. "My parents aren't home so that means I have to cook and do all of the chores. They gave me money if I need any shopping to do. I was planning on staying over at brother's place."

The thought of her brother, Kidou Yuuto, made the flame striker feel slightly jealous. Kidou seemed to be getting more attention from her that he ever has. To make her think less about her brother he asked: "Do you want to come to my place? My sister will probably be happy to see you."

The spring maiden was slightly confused and asked: "Why would she be happy to see me?"

"I never actually brought a friend over to my place. She'll be happy to see anyone I bring over."

Haruna smiled and nodded. She walked closer to the flame striker and leaned on his shoulder.

"Thank you, Gouenji-kun."

The flame striker turned pink and smiled. He wanted to hear her say those words to him. Hearing those words he felt appreciated by the girl he adored. Finally they arrived at the apartment building. The two walked up the stairs and opened the door that was the Gouenji family's apartment.

"I'm home." Said the flame striker as he took off his shoes.

"Shuuya-san. You're back!" said the maid, Fuku.

"I brought a guest over." Shuuya told Fuku as he put on a pair of slippers.

"A guest?" asked Fuku.

Shuuya turned around and gestured towards Haruna.

"This is Otonashi Haruna. She's one of the team's managers."

Shuuya put his arm down as he walked towards the dining table. Haruna took off her shoes, put on a pair of slippers and walked towards the dining table. A girl's voice came from one side of the apartment.

"Onii-chan!" said a young girl as she hugged Shuuya. "You're home!"

"It's good to be home, Yuuka." Shuuya told his little sister Yuuka.

_So that's his sister._ Haruna thought to herself as she looked at Yuuka and smiled.

Yuuka noticed the 'somehow familiar' stranger sitting at the dining table.

"Who are you?" the little girl asked the spring maiden. "It feels like I saw you somewhere but I just don't remember when."

The spring maiden's eyes widened. She seemed slightly confused. She just stared at the adorable little girl who was looking at her.

"Yuuka," interrupted the flame striker as he sat down on the seat right across Haruna. "This is Otonashi Haruna. She may seem familiar to you since she's one of the managers of my soccer team."

The little girl looked at the manager. Then the little girl smiled.

"I think I'll like you, one-chan!" said the little girl as she walked towards her bedroom.

Dinner was served and the two ate with an awkward silence. As the spring maiden took a spoonful of curry rice the flame striker turned pink. He knew he couldn't stand being alone with her without blushing. He knew he was never like this around anyone else. He knew he was out of character. He knew he needed to tell her. He knew he wanted to tell her. These thoughts caused him to jump off his seat and fall on the floor.

"Gouenji-kun!" yelled the spring maiden as she ran to the flame striker. "Are you okay?"

The flame striker stood up while holding on to his forehead.

"Take me to my room and get the first aid kit." He told her.

The two stood up with Haruna trying to balance Shuuya on her shoulders. The two walk towards a door with a sign that said "Shuuya". Haruna opened the door and let Shuuya sit on his bed.

"I'll be back." Haruna said as she left Shuuya's room.

The spring maiden walked around the apartment and found the first aid kit. She ran back to Shuuya's room and closed the door. After closing the door she turned around and saw Shuuya with his shirt opened.

"I see you're back, Otonashi." Shuuya said with his hand still on his forehead.

Haruna nervously opened the first aid kit. She got out an ice pack, a cotton ball, and a bottle of Betadine.

"Show me your forehead."

Shuuya let go of his forehead and showed it to Haruna. She noticed no bruise, no scratch.

"What do you see?" Shuuya asked.

"I only see a forehead." She replied.

The flame striker sighed. Then, out of instinct, the spring maiden kissed his forehead. This action caused Shuuya to blush. After noticing what she did Haruna put her hand on her mouth.

"I'm sorry!" she said. "It's kind of a girl's instinct to kiss someone on the area they got wounded on."

"There's no need to apologize." He replied.

Shuuya couldn't keep his emotions a secret anymore. He had to let it out. He had to tell her. This was the time. Shuuya stood up and pinned Haruna to a wall.

"Gouenji-kun! What are you doing?" Haruna asked.

"Please, just call me Shuuya." He said.

This was it. Shuuya's confession.

"I think I'm in love, Haruna." He told her.

_Damn it. Why didn't I say who I was in love with?_

"I know that, Go— I mean, Shuuya." She replied.

_Come on. Please say who it is already!_

Shuuya pulled off Haruna's bow tie until it was just a piece of yellow ribbon in his hand.

"Haruna, I'm accidentally in love..."

_I'll just say it now._

"...with you."

Haruna blushed. Then she smiled.

"I never asked you to call me by my first name." She said.

"I'm sorry." He replied.

"Well, you're fourteen while I'm thirteen. You're the ace striker of Japan's team in the Football Frontier International while I'm you're manager who does nothing but talk, yell, and get kidnapped. You're accidentally in love with me while I'm..." she stopped.

Shuuya's eyes widened. As the girl he pinned to the wall was right in from of him he blushed even harder. Haruna undid the first three buttons of her school uniform's blouse.

"I'm accidentally in love with you, Shuuya."

Haruna and Shuuya smiled. The two lean closer to each other with their eyes closed until their lips touched. The kiss was magical. That very moment when their lips touched they could feel a spark. No, they could feel their whole bodies tingling. This was right. They knew that they were meant to be. Fate knows that they were meant to be.

"I love you, Haruna."

"'Love' is a very strong word. It doesn't matter though. I love you too, Shuuya."


End file.
